BODYGUARDS

11.17.11

Cain to Get Secret Service Protection

Scott Olson / Getty images

Herman Cain is about to become the first presidential candidate of the 2012 election to receive Secret Service protection. Why, exactly, he feels that he needs such heightened security is unclear, but he was able to convince Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and an advisory committee that he is deserving of it. Presidential candidates have been placed under Secret Service watch before—in fact, Cain joins both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton among candidates who have received protection from the federal law enforcement agency much earlier in the election cycle than usual. Typically, the Secret Service only protects candidates that have been determined “major” and only four months before the general election.